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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. cold — not warm
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — soda
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. row — a line
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pop — to visit
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bank — of a river
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com